Aerial sign



M. A. NEAL AERIALl SIGN Sept. 2, 1930.

Filed Aug. 2o, 1928 Patented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT-2 OFFICEMALCOLM A. NEAL,` oF sAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNOR 'ro AERIALADVER- TIsING COMPANY, INC., OF sAN FRANCisCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATIONOF NEVADA AERIAL SIGN .Application inea August 2o, 192s. serial Nq.306,721. y

My invention relates to advertising dis? plays supported by balloons orkites, and its broad purpose is to provide a sign of minimum weightwhich will withstand the large stresses due to wind pressure.

An object of-my invention is to provide an improved ysign foundationmade from lines or'cords, and a method of inaking'the same, withaimaximum of accuracy and a minimum difliculty from tangling of thelines.

Another obj ect of my invention is to provide such a sign, the lines ofwhich are not subject to chaiing.

My invention possesses other objects and valuable features, some lofwhich will be set forth in the following description of my inventionwhich is illustrated in the drawings forming part of the specification.It is to be understood that I donot limit myself to the showing made bythe said description and drawings, as I may adopt varying forms of myinvention within the scope Y of the claims.V

Referring the drawings: e Fig. l is an elevation of a frame used in thebuilding of the sign of my invention, witha sign thereon in the courseof construction.`

. Figs. 2, 8 and 4 are detail views on an enlarged scale, illustratingthe transfer of a hitch from the transverse to the longitudinal line ofthe foundation network, and the 4overhand knot for finally securing theconnection.

is of constantly growing importance in modern advertising.V Such signsto be effective must be of large area, and at the same time `must bevery light.

The stresses due to wind pressure.` are large, and Awhipping in high ledto the use of a fish-net foundation, with letters or other devices to bedisplayed cut from silk or other light fabric and stitched to thenetting.

Thisconstruction leaves much to be desired, for the net must be of smallmesh to J bring the lines where they are needed, and

may be best describedv by -the lines 15.

dom coincide accurately with the edges of the i i letters, with theresult that these edges are often free to whip in the windandtear loose,

andthe irregular form of the vletters causesl oblique stresses whichresult in distortion of the sign. In my invention these troubles areavoided. Y

In 'broad terms, my invention .comprises a foundation network in whichthe'individual lines correspond to the edges of the applied i@ device,which is formed of fabric in the usual manner.` The edges are heinmed,and

"stitched around the lines, eliminating the trouble `from whipping.v,Individual lines are used for each series of edges aline'd across Ethe sign surface, and the intersecting lines are 'knotted in Lsuch amanner that the intersections may be located with great accuracy,

V'the completed knot being firm and free from danger of slipping andchafing. There'is perfect freedom of selection inthe placing of theselineSLand'the number of transverse lines in the successive rows ofcharacters may be changed, by-providing lines of opposing pull tobalance out the oblique components.

,The preferred embodiment of my invention reciting in detail the methodof Construction.

A frame 6 vis erected against a wall on which Vis the lay-out of the"sign to be built, and extending diagonally upwardandaway from theframe, in the same plane, is a beam y 8. Pins 9 on the frame carry sparsl1 and 12 The use of baloon or kite supported signs which form the upperandlower edges of the sign, and hemp lines 1 3 and 14e attached to theends of the spars complete the outline.

Longitudinal lines 15, positionedto correspond with the longitudinaledges of the characters to bev displayed are next 1stretched windscausesrapid wear. `fT11e requirement of light weight and low wind resistancehas from pins 16 in one edge ofthe frame, passing over other pins 17inthe' beam 9,and terminating in the weights l18 which keep" the linestaut. e v y Lines 21, corresponding to Vthe transverse edges of theletters, are next attached to the upper spar, and tied at eachintersection with The junction must be accurately spaced, and whencomplete must not be subject to slipping along either line. Owing `tothe great lengthfoft'eno() lfeet or morelill Cil

of the longitudinal lines, it is not practical to make the knots inthem, and all tying must be done with the short transverse lines.Ordinary knots made in this manner will slip along the longitudinalline. This is prevented as follows:

A clove hitch is thrown in the line 21 about the line 15 as shown inFig. 2. This will slip along the line 15, and advantage is taken of thisto position the intersection accurately in the horizontal direction. Astrong pull on the line 21 then causes it to straighten and. transfersthe hitch to the line 15 as shown in F ig. 3. The intersection may thenbe slipped into position in the vertical dimension, and a singleoverhand knot then tied about the hitch to prevent further slippage, as.shown in Fig. 4.

The longitudinal lines are shortened by transferring the clove hitchthereto and the overhead knots are then tied in the vertical lines toshorten the same, and therefore to prevent the displacement ofintersections already tied by the format-ion of succeeding knots, thetying is started at the iixed end of the upper longitudinal line, takingeach intersection successively down and across the frame. The weights 18rise to yield the necessary slack in the longitudinal lines.

Diagonal lines may be started from any intersection, as is shown by thelines 22 comprising the edges of the letter A in the sign. Vhen sostarted and terminated these lines do not introduce distorting pulls. Incase the transverse lines of a lower row of letters do ,not coincide inspacing with the upper row, however, and it is necessary to terminate aline or displace it to one side or the other, distorting pulls will beset up. This is prevented by displacing the lines in pairs, thuscounterbalaneing the longitudinal component of the pull of a diagonalline 23 by an equal and opposite pull from another line 24, so that theresultant is a straight transverse pull which is taken by the lines 25.It is also possible to obtain the same result by balancing the pulls oftwo slightly displaced lines 26 by that of a single line of greaterslope 27. lVhere a line is terminated it is done as is shown by usingthe two diagonal lines 28 whose opposing pulls are transmitted as adirect transverse stress to the line 29.

Vhen all intersections have been tied the longitudinallines are fastenedto the hemp line 14, and the transverse lines secured to the lower spar12, thus completing the foundation net.

lVith the net thus formed, the device to be displayed is next applied.The characters 31 are cut fromsilk or other light fabric, and a narrowhem 32, perhaps 1/2 inch wide, formed around the edge. The hem issecured to the lines by stitching and knotting at intervals, much as inquilting. The use of these separate stitches 33 saves a fraction inweight,

and decreases the danger of a whole edge coming loose if a single threadbreaks. Similar stitches 34 between the edges make the chai'- actersmore secure. Stitches are preferably taken at each intersection of thefoundation lines and atone or more points between.

The completed sign is both lighter and more permanent than the usualtype. There are certainv modilications which may be made in theconstruction without departing from my invention. Thus a diagonalterminating at both ends in longitudinal or transverse characterelements, as, for example, the cross bar of the letter N, need notnecessarily have the usual line along the edge, especially if thecharacter be relatively small. In general, however, the security givenby the diagonal lines justifies their weight.

I claim:

1. A method of tying a long and a short line which comprises throwing aclove hitch in the short line about the long line, tensioning the shortline to transfer the hitch to the long line, and knotting the short lineabout the hitch.

2. A method of forming an accurately spaced connection between twointersecting lines which comprises throwing a clove hitch in one lineabout the other, sliding saidhitch into position on said secondv line,transferring said hitch to saidsecondline by tension on said first line,sliding said hitch into p0- sition on said lirst line, and knotting saidfirst line about said hitch;

3. A method of' constructing a signV which comprisesstretching'linescorresponding to each longitudinal element of the display, stretchinglines corresponding to transverse elements of the display across saidlongitudinal lines, knotting each intersection of said lines, forming infabric the device of the display, and securing each edge of said deviceto its corresponding stretched line.

4. A method of sign construction comprising stretching a plurality oflongitudinal lines, crossing said lines with a plurality of transverselines; tying each intersection by throwing a clove hitch in thetransverse line about the longitudinal line, transferring said hitch tothe longitudinal line by tension on the transverse line, and knottingthe transverse line about said hitch; the ties being formed in regularsuccession along each longitudinal line, forming in fabric the device tobe displayed, and stitching the edges of said fabric to correspondinglines.

5. A method of constructing a sign which comprises stretching linescorresponding to each longitudinal element of the display, stretchinglines corresponding to transverse elements of the display across saidlon gitudinal lines, knotting each intersection of said lines, andsecuring the edges of the device t0 be displayed to their correspondinglines.

6. A method of sign construction comprising stretching a plurality oflongitudinal lines, crossing said lines with a plurality of transverselines; tyinof each intersection by throwing a clove hitch in thetransverse line about the longitudinal line, transferring said hitch tothe longitudinal line by tension on the transverse line, and knottingthe transverse line about said hitch; the tiesbeing formed in regularsuccession along each longitudinal line, and securing the edges of thelevice to be displayed to their corresponding mcs.

7. A sign having a foundation network comprising longitudinal lines, anda plurality of transverse lines secured thereto, said transverse linesbeing displaced in opposite directions to balance the longitudinalcomponents of the stresses thereon.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

MALCOLM A. NEAL.

